October 2012

Ideas for Exercising in the Fall

The fall is a special time of year. The weather is cooling, the Holidays are approaching and in many areas, even the colour of the trees is changing. These are some of the reasons that many people say that fall is their favourite season. It is the season that people enjoy being outdoors the most. Since it is so pleasant to spend time outside in the fall, why not enjoy it by exercising outdoors.

Summer weather can be too hot and humid for strenuous exercise. Muggy weather and heat can sap your energy and make you sweaty and uncomfortable before you even start. Winter cold can be too harsh for exercise and the snow and ice on the ground makes many activities impossible. For example, rollerblades and icy sidewalks definitely do not mix. Fall weather, on the other hand, is usually dry and cool enough to make outdoor activities enjoyable and exercise pleasant.

It is a lot more fun to go biking in the park or around your neighbourhood than it is to ride a stationary bike in a basement or gym. If you get out and enjoy the nice weather and changing scenery during an outdoor workout, your exercise time will fly by and not be monotonous. Riding a bike or roller blades instead of indoor exercise machines change working out from a chore into a game, especially if it is done as a family.

Outdoor activities make ideal family together time. Going on an hour bike ride can be a good workout for adults and also fun play time for kids. More importantly, if done together it becomes a time to bond and interact as a family. While spending an hour on a treadmill at home separates parents from their kids or friends, spending that same hour walking or hiking outside with each other brings them closer together.

Hiking and walking are the best ways to enjoy the fall while exercising. Even walking on level ground can be a good workout by wearing ankle and wrist weights while doing it. The changing climate brings about a change in leaves, birds and animals that can only be appreciated if you are out in it. Instead of admiring fall colours through a window, go for a hike or walk in a state park or even along a road. Experience the beauty and majesty of nature rather than staring at a wall while you work out.

If you actively look for migrating birds and nut gathering squirrels while you walk and hike the exercise will fly by and you will not even be tired when it is done. By putting down the iPod, picking up the camera, and going outside while you work out you will turn exercise into a fun hobby rather than a dreaded chore. Doing this as a family or with friends makes it an educational, social, and fun activity for everyone.

Source: yahoo.com

Staying Healthy This Fall

The temperatures outside are dropping, the kids are back in school and the holidays are just around the corner. Unfortunately, so are lots of germs waiting to make you sick. If you want to stay healthy this flu season, take a few minutes to find out how you can prevent those germs from bringing you down. Remember to limit your exposure to people who are sick and if you do become sick yourself, stay at home so you don’t spread your illness to others. Keep some hand sanitizer with you wherever you go, so you can always have clean hands. Wash your hands with soap and water whenever you get the opportunity, there is no better way to prevent the spread of germs.

Source: about.com

DID YOU KNOW?

It takes twice as long to lose new muscle when you stop working out than it did to gain it? So go build some muscle…it grows fast!!!

Source:fitmepink.blogspot.ca

What to Eat at Thanksgiving for a Healthy Diet

The key to eating healthy during Thanksgiving is self-control. Don’t starve yourself the whole day and then overdo it at dinner. Eat breakfast when you get up and a light, early lunch. Once you’re sitting at the Thanksgiving table, eat slowly. Concentrate on what you’re chewing and drink lots of water in between bites. If you’re tempted to go for seconds, wait a few minutes to see how full you feel. You might find you really don’t want to keep going.

If you’re the one cooking the Thanksgiving dinner, you can try modifying the recipes to reduce their calorie and fat contents. Make mashed potatoes with skim or low-fat milk instead of whole, and cut the amount of butter you add in half. Use low-fat yogurt instead of sour cream to top baked potatoes. If you’re making a green bean casserole, don’t use creamy soups as a base, but instead opt for a water-based broth. Skip the high-calorie pecan pie and opt for a pumpkin pie instead. A slice of pumpkin with topping will set you back 450 calories, while a slice of pecan pie plain is 650 calories.

Mentally discard everything you shouldn’t be eating. Avoid appetizers, snacks and finger foods. These are usually high in fat and calories and won’t fill you up. Instead, save up the calories for the main dishes. Go easy on the stuffing too. A cup of homemade stuffing contains about 400 calories. Either have a smaller portion of stuffing or avoid it all together. Another food to rethink is candied sweet potatoes at about 400 calories per cup.

Source: livestrong.com

Lentil Soup

Ingredients:

1 slice ham, lean

1 cup lentils

3 cups chick/veggie stock

¼ cup onion

¼ cup carrots

½ cup celery

½ medium tomato

1 ½ tsp oil, high oleic safflower

Spices / Flavoring:

1 tsp rosemary, dried

¼ tsp salt, lite

¼ tsp black pepper

2 bay leaf

Preparation

Place the lentils in a bowl and cover with cold water. Let soak for 2 hours. Rinse and drain well.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan, stir in the diced onion and cook until onion is tender. Stir in the diced celery, carrots, rosemary, bay leaves, and lentils. Add diced tomatoes, diced ham, and vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until lentils are tender (about an hour). Remove the bay leaves, add salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Healthy Living Tip!

Grab a few fresh fruits on your way out.

Wherever you’re going – whether it’s a walk or drive to the supermarket or on your way to a meeting – pick up one or two fruits and eat them. If you leave for work in the morning and don’t return ’til evening, take a few fruits and eat them throughout the day. Fruits are great for their nutrients, vitamins and sugars that are required in our body.

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Why You Need Calcium

Calcium is needed for strong bones and teeth, but that’s not all. It’s also important for normal blood clotting, and for healthy muscle and nervous system function. Most adults need around 1,000 mg to 1,200 mg every day (and teenagers need more). You can get enough calcium from the foods you eat.

Dairy products are well-known as a source of calcium, but you don’t need to consume dairy foods if you can’t tolerate them or even if you just don’t want to consume them. You can get plenty of calcium from other foods like legumes, green leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds and bony fish (like canned salmon), or you can take calcium supplements.

4 Fall Fitness Tips

This is a great time of year to enjoy exercise outside. The sun, mild weather, and cooler evenings are perfect for a walk, run, or bike ride. Soon, we will start to lose sunlight and warm days, which means many people will find it hard to squeeze in a workout.

1 – Plan Ahead

Decide on your indoor or outdoor exercise in advance. Decide which time of day is best for you and plan accordingly. If morning is when you want to exercise, for the morning have your clothes ready to go. For evening workouts, bring a change of clothes with you.

2 – Willingness to Change

Be willing to change your routine depending on the seasons. Changing your routine can help the body burn more calories and avoid boredom.

3 – Workout DVD

Have an efficient and effective DVD at home. This can come in handy if the day got away from you, it’s dark or you have no desire to go to the gym.

4 – Fuel Your Body

Lots of fruits, vegetables, and water will help your body stay energized longer.

You don’t have to let your fitness go through the winter. Start planning today and maintain your fit body.

Source: active.com

Strength Training Over Age 50

Most older individuals are well aware that they need regular aerobic exercise, such as walking, swimming, or running, to strengthen their heart and lungs and tone their bodies, but many dismiss weight training as an activity predominantly for the young or the vain. However, it is the only type of exercise that can substantially slow, and even reverse, the declines in muscle mass, bone density, and strength that were once considered inevitable consequences of aging. Unlike aerobic, or endurance, activities, which improve cardiovascular fitness and require moving large muscle groups hundreds of times against gravity, weights provide so much resistance that muscles gain strength from only a few movements. Resistance is usually provided by free weights or machines, but individuals can also get stronger by exercising in water.

Source:: about.com

Visit your local farmers’ market

Not only is farm-fresh better for you and the environment—on average, food travels more than 2,500 gas-guzzling kilometres to get to your table—but chances are you’ll actually eat more fruits and vegetables if you go local. Researchers surveyed more than 1,600 parents who live in rural communities and found that those who often ate produce either grown in their own yards, or bought directly from a farmer or local market, were three times more likely to eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day—and so were their kids. They also ate a wider variety and were able to say their children had more favourite fruits and vegetables.

Wondering where to start when the market’s stalls are overflowing with produce? You can’t go wrong shopping for a rainbow of colours. Begin by thinking about your eyes as you look for produce that’s full of the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, such as red and yellow peppers, spinach, zucchini and romaine lettuce. Studies have found that people who eat the most produce high in these carotenoids are the least likely to develop age-related macular degeneration, a condition that can eventually cause blindness and affects two million Canadians over the age of 50.

Source: besthealthmag.ca

Ladies’ Corner

5 HEALTHY MILK ALTERNATIVES

Almond

Almond milk has a nutty hint, but its flavor is fairly neutral overall. It works in both sweet (cereal) and savory (soup) dishes.

Coconut

If you love whole milk and cream, you’ll dig the thick texture. And even in the unsweetened type, the coconut flavor supplies sweetness.

Flax

Flax milk is the lowest in calories, making it the perfect base for a slimming smoothie snack.

Rice

This sweet choice is best for those with soy and nut allergies, but it’s sometimes processed with the allergens, so check labels.

Soy

Soymilk is the only nondairy variety that’s high in filling protein, so it’s good for vegans and folks with lactose intolerance.

Men’s Corner

5 FOODS THAT MAKE YOU SMARTER

Beets

Anchovies

Anchovies boost 10 times the omega-3 levels that tuna does and are much lower in harmful seafood contaminants like mercury.

Old-Fashioned Eggs

Eggs hens raised outside on green grass pastures, contain two times more omega-3s than standard store-bought eggs, and three times more naturally-occurring vitamin E, a potent antidepressant and possible Alzheimer’s disease antidote.